


More than a Footnote

by IncendiaGlacies



Category: Timeless (TV 2016)
Genre: Gen, History changes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-02
Updated: 2018-08-02
Packaged: 2019-06-20 09:49:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15531639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IncendiaGlacies/pseuds/IncendiaGlacies
Summary: A new mission takes the Time Team back to meet Rosalind Franklin and they end up changing history for the better





	More than a Footnote

**Author's Note:**

  * For [natascha_ronin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/natascha_ronin/gifts).



> I tried my best to deliver accurately on the history. Rosalind Franklin deserved better and I'm bitter

The alarm blared through the bunker alerting everyone, along with Agent Christopher’s yell of “Rittenhouse!” By the time Lucy made it to the Lifeboat everyone else had already gathered. She eased to a stop right next to Flynn who easily stepped back so she could stand next to him. Lucy gave him a small smile which he returned and then turned her attention to the mission.

“Okay Jiya, where are we going this time?” Rufus asked.

“In a minute,” Connor muttered as he worked on the computers with Jiya. “It’s working on triangulating the Mothership’s destination…and we have a time and place!”

“February 1953, London!” Jiya announced.

“Lucy, your turn.” Wyatt turned to Lucy his arms crossed as he waited for her to answer.

“Watson and Crick,” Rufus and Jiya answered in tandem.

“This is when they made a breakthrough on DNA structure,” Lucy further continued. “Up until then no one was sure what this stuff that gave us our very life was made up of. And then they realized it had a double helix structure.”

“Looks like Rittenhouse has science nerds too,” Wyatt joked good-heartedly.

Connor rolled his eyes at the comment and went on. “If Rittenhouse stops them from discovering this then they throw back modern science by decades if not a near century. Not to mention medicines and-”

“We get it. It’s bad,” Flynn cut him off. “So, where are we going?”

“Well they had the lab at Cambridge so I think it would be good if we-”

“No, wait,” Jiya cut off Lucy with a shake of her head. “I don’t think it’s Watson and Crick they’re after. I mean it’s about DNA, but those two only figured out the structure because of the crystallographic x-rays taken by-”

“Rostalind Franklin,” Lucy grinned and clapped her hands. “We get to meet Rosalind Franklin!” Flynn gave her a fond look at her squealing and shook his head. “What? I like her. She deserved the credit for the discovery, instead Watson and Crick won the Nobel Prize and the board spun some story about not giving posthumous awards since she died of ovarian cancer in 1958.”

“And just like that another woman loses out on proper recognition to sexist pigs,” Jiya muttered. Connor gave her an apologetic look and Rufus patted her back in solidarity.

Denise took charge before the conversation got too derailed. “Rittenhouse got a three hour head start. You go now. I’d rather not be put back in the Dark Ages.”

“It wouldn’t be the Dark-”

“Now!”

“I’ll go say bye to Jessica and be right back,” Wyatt said before leaving the room to do so.

“We’ll be in the Lifeboat,” Lucy said. Flynn made a show of huffing and groaning about it but silenced when Lucy gave him a sharp look and nodded to the time machine. He sighed and followed her lead.

“Rufus,” Jiya whispered. Her boyfriend frowned and leaned in towards her. She wrapped her arms around him and asked, “Be the best boyfriend ever and get me an autograph of Rosalind Franklin?”

“You got it.” He kissed her before leaving. “See you soon.”

* * *

 

“So what’s the plan?” Rufus asked Lucy as Rosalind walked to the other side of the lab. They had split up into teams again. Wyatt and Flynn had gone to take care of the sleeper agent and Lucy and Rufus were keeping an eye on Rosalind. They had spun some story about how they were the new research graduate students at the university and she hadn’t looked too happy to be sharing her lab. Luckily it would all be over as soon as they knew she was safe.

“Keep her alive and in our sight,” Lucy muttered back. “And maybe try to change her mind about leaving the college.”

“Why would we do that?”

“Because, when she left King’s College she had to leave all her research on DNA behind which is why Watson and Crick got access to it in the first place. Sure she got to publish a journal entry on her work, but is that really enough credit?”

“Not in my book,” Rufus said under his breath just as Rosalind walked back.

“You may have this counter space here,” Rosalind said somewhat stiffly. “I see you haven’t brought any belongings with you?”

“We wanted to meet our lab associate before moving in,” Lucy said in a hurried voice.

“Where did you say you got your undergraduate degree from?” Rosalind asked suspiciously.

“MIT,” Rufus answered smoothly before Lucy could say anything. “It’s back over the pond, but maybe you’ve heard of it? It’s an excellent school for engineering.”

“Yes, I have.” She shook her head apologetically. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to judge. I just didn’t expect someone such as yourself,” she gestured to Rufus, “to go to such a prestigious school.”

“I see prejudices exist over here too,” Lucy said softly.

Rosalind nodded. “Yes, I had to fight to get where I am now.”

“I understand. With my situation, and my girlfriend – also in the science field back in America now, she had to do the same. I bed she would have loved to be here right now,” Rufus said.

“Well it is a good college, perhaps she will join you,” Rosalind said encouragingly.

“Yes, it is a good college. I can’t imagine leaving,” Lucy said leadingly. Rosalind raised an eyebrow at her. “I’m sorry. I just couldn’t help but notice some of the boxes getting ready to be packed and they told us this lab would be vacant in a few months…”

“Yes, I have plans to leave and continue my research elsewhere,” Rosalind admitted with a nod.

“Why would you leave a school as good as King’s College? Funding isn’t exactly easy to come by,” Rufus pointed out.

“It doesn’t have so much to do with funding as it does with my teammates. I’m afraid my colleague Mr. Wilkins and I do not get along too well.”

“You’re going to leave over a little argument with some man?” Lucy demanded.

“It is not some silly argument!” Rosalind flared her nostrils as she glared at them.

“You would give up all of this, everything you’ve worked so hard for? Don’t let some man push you out of your place. Stand your ground! Make him leave if anything. Someone has to take a stand for all the women in the science field being bossed around by their male counterpart, constantly being told no, and treated as subservient.”

“And you want this woman to be me?” Rosalind laughed mockingly.

“Why not?” Rufus asked. “Someone’s got to do it. Maybe it should be you.” Rosalind looked at him like he was insane. Rufus cleared his throat. “And while we’re handing out free advice, maybe also consider more protection around those x-rays you make. Radiation is dangerous you know.”

“Look, someday you could mean a lot to a lot of little girls out there that want to be scientists,” Lucy said softly stepping forward. “But if you leave, you’ll be nothing more than a footnote in someone else’s big scientific breakthrough. Just a thought.”

“Yes,” Rosalind nodded slowly at them before turning around. “You’ve certainly given me much to think about.”

* * *

 

With a loud pop and a whoosh of wind blowing papers everywhere, the Lifeboat returned to present day. The remaining members of the team went straight for the entrance just as the four passengers slowly stumbled out.

“We’re back!” Wyatt announced, a little roughed up but still all right.

“Minimal trouble with Rittenhouse and the threat is neutralized,” Flynn added right behind him.

“What about the present?” Lucy asked worriedly. “We’re not living in the scientific Dark Ages are we?”

“No,” Denise said with a smile. “Modern medicine is just fine.”

“Never thought I’d have to say this, but thank you Watson and Crick for stealing ideas!” Rufus said.

“Who’s Watson and Crick?” Jiya asked with a frown. All four Lifeboat passengers stared at her and then at the confused looks on everyone else’s faces.

“You don’t know who – wait, who discovered the structure of DNA?” Lucy demanded.

“Rosalind Franklin, obviously?” Jiya looked at them like they were crazy. “Rufus, you know this. I told you on our first date how she was my idol and I wanted to be in the science line because of her. Maybe more computers rather than biology, but still.”

“So you’re saying in this original timeline, Ms. Franklin did not get her credit due to her?” Connor asked, appalled at the very thought.

“No.” Lucy shook her head. “These competing researchers took her work, left her name as a footnote.”

“Ha! A Nobel Prize winner as a footnote? That’s ridiculous!” Jiya exclaimed.

“She won the Nobel Prize as well? What year?” Lucy asked.

“1962.”

“But she was supposed to die in 1958.”

“Not this time. She didn’t live for much longer, 1975. But she lived long enough to get credit for her work,” Jiya explained history.

“Well, would you look at that?” Lucy turned to Rufus and high-fived him with a grin on her face. “Looks like we just changed history for the better.”


End file.
